Electric-arc welding or brazing.



G. W. CRAVENS. ELECIRIC ARC WELDING 0R BRAZING. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27. 1915.

1,260,989. Patented Mar. 26, 191

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GEORGE w. cnnvnns'on GARWOGI), NEW annsnz, AssIGnoR To c. a c. nnnornic a MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or GARWOOD, new JnnsnY, A GORLPORAT-IGN on new JERSEY.-

Original applicationxfiled'il'uly 23, 1915, Serial Specification of Letters Patent.

ELECTRIC-ARC WELDING QR BRAZINGri Patented Mar. 26, 1915.5,

No. 41,469. Divided and this application filed. October 27, 1915.

Serial No. 58,195.

- To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, Gnoncn W. Caravans, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Garwood, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrio-Arc Welding or Brazing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the brazing or welding together of metal pieces, through the instrumentality ofthe electric are.

I This application is a divisionoi my application Serial Number 41,469, filed July 23rd,

The invention is particularly useful in that class of electric welding or brazing wherein the work is one electrode and the other electrode is a metal rod or bar which is fused by the arc and flows into the joint, the are being sprungbetween the bar and the work. In welding bythis method the arc having been started, the movable bar constituting one electrode is 'moved along the joint, the are heating the parts to be welded and also causing the fusion of the bar itself which flows into the joint'and a secure welded or brazed joint is bbtained.

In the practice of this character of welding or brazing, where direct current is used, the positive electrode develops larger amount of heat than the negative elec- ,trode- It is necessary, however, that the negative electrode be maintained at a high} temperature. This necessitates special con struction or sizes of parts to conserve the cathode heat, when the movable electrode is a cathode. I

According to the present invention the arc is surrounded or inclosed by a non-oxidizing insulating gaseous vapor envelop. This envelop confines the arc, reduces lateral diffusion and dissipation of heat, so that with direct-current the electrode may be made the cathode and the heat thereat is so conserved that the necessary high temperature is maintained without unduly restricting the size of the electrode so that there is an abundance of metal for the brazing operation.

Furthermore the envelop prevents access of air to the metal vapors of the arc and, the

a much the deslred 'cated by the comparative smoothness and maintained free from oXids so that a clean weld or braze tree from these impurities is obtained.

This gaseous inclosing envelop may be formed by coating the movable electrode with insulating material which is adapted when heated by the arc to form a non-oxidizing insulating vapor about the are between the metal of the electrode and the work.

The are having been sprung, the metal conductor will be fused or vaporized and flow into the weld, but as the conductor is eaten back the edges of the covering will be subjected to the heat of the arc and vaporized to form the envelop. The envelop being thus formed as the conductor is consumed the gaseousenvelop is at all times present about the metallic arc.

A coated electrode laid down on the work along the oint to be brazed or welded will not accomplish the desired results for the reason that under such circumstances any vapor which may be formed from the coat-' ing will not be carried co-extensively with the arc, but at best will only occupy portions of the exterior surface of the metallic arc, To secure the carrying of the non-oxidizing insulating vapor formed from the coating to a distance coextensive with the metallic arc, and the desired inclosure of that are by the vapor, the movable conductor carrying the coating must be held at an angle to the joint or other work. This angle may vary between and a minimum which may be approximated at 30. The minimum angle at which the desiredinclosure is obtained may be considerably less than 30 or it may be more than 30 under some conditions of operation. It can be readily ascertained by the operator by placing the electrode so that it makes a very small angle, say 5, and then gradually increasing it. The point at which 1 inclosure is effected will be indinon-sputtering of the arc. Y

- It is often oi advantage to alloy the metal of the weld or braze in such manner as to affect its characteristics. For instance, it is of advantage in many cases, and the character of the weld is improved, if a small amount of aluminum is added to the metal 01? the weld or braze. This may be actoo coinplished by coating\the metal electrode with the alloying metal and then a coating,

from which the non-oxidizing arcinclosing vapor is formed may be placed outside this metallic coating. This brings alloying metal next to the principal metal of the electrode at the arc so that the two metals may become readilyintermingled while the vapor envelop is formed outside the whole.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the application of the invention to the welding or brazing of a joint between two horizontal metal plates.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section of the movable electrode.

Fig. 4 is a section on an enlarged scale through the are showing the relation of the metallic arc and the non-oxidizing vapor envelop.

Referring to the drawings, A and B are two flat horizontal plates, for instance of iron, which abutagainst each other at C along which the weld or braze is to be made. The plates are connected by means of clamps D and E and conductor F with the positive terminal of a direct current generator G. The negative terminal of the generator is connected by means of a conductor H with the movable. electrode I between which and the work, that is plates A and B, the arc K is formed.

The electrode I comprises a metallic bar orrod'l upon which is formed a fluxing coating 2 such as aluminum and. outside is placed a covering 3 adapted to form a nonoxidizin insulating envelop for the are when it .is vaporized by the heat of thearc. This coating 3 may comprise a winding of cotton cord saturated with powdered plaster of Paris and s ium silicate added to serve as a binder. The cotton cord serves as a carrier for the plaster of Paris and sodium.

silicate and is consumed while the plaster of Paris and silicate are vaporized to form the envelop.

In'making the weld the conductor of the electrode is brought in contact with the work and removed therefrom to" draw thearc in the usual way. The rod 1 and its alloying metal 2 are meltedor vaporized by the arc and flow into the joint, the work being also heated by the arc, and the weld or braze is formed. The coating 3- produces a vapor which incloses the metallic portion of the arc with the results as already indicated, the

electrode I bein plates as before indicated. In the drawing the angle shown is'ap roximatel 45. As the metal of the mova 1e electro e is transferred to the joint 'under the action of the arc, the electrode is moved along the joint so that a continuous weld or. braze is secured, the proper angle of the electrode with the work as before indicated, being main tained.

In Fig. 4, the outer non-oxidizing envelop is indicated by spiral lines and designated by the numeral 4 and the inclosed metallic are represented by the dotted lines is designated by the reference numeral '5. The inclosure of the arc conserves the heat and maintains the necessary temperature at the cathode as before referred to.

While the invention has been illustrated in what is believed to be its best application, it may have other applications without departing from its spirit and is not therefore structure shown in the drawsaid are being inclosed in a non-oxidizing insulating vapor.

3. The method of electric arc welding or brazing which consists in establishing a direct current electric are between the material to be welded or brazed and an electrode comprising a metal rod covered with an insulating material adapted to be converted by the are into a non-oxidizin insulating vapor, said electrode being t e cathode, and

eld out of engagement with the work at an angle thereto at which said are is inclosed by said vapor. v 4. The method of electric arc welding or brazing-which consists in establishing a direct current electric. are between the material;to be welded or brazed and an electrode comprising a metal rod covered with an in-- sulating material adapted to be converted by the are into a non-oxidizing insulating vapor, said electrode being the cathode, an

vheld out of engagement with the work at an angle between 5 and the vertical.

5. The method of electric arc welding or brazing which consists in establishing a direct current electric are between the mate-' rial tobe welded or brazed and an electrode comprlsing a metal rod'covere'd with an insulating material adapted to be converted by held at an angle to the the are into anon-oxidizing insulating vapor, said electrode being the cathode, moving said electrode alon the jointand during such movement'hol ing it out of enga ement withthe workand at an angle at WhlOh the arc is inclosed by the vapor.

6. In an apparatus for electric arc welding or brazing the combination with a movsource with the material to be welded or brazed.

Signed at New York city, in the county 10 of New York and State of New York, this 8th (1:13' of October, A. D. 1915.

GEORGE ORAVENS. 

